Which MBA?
Recent articles
News from the schools, February 2011
Rolling news from the business campuses
*In what seems to be becoming a trend among business schools, future MBAs at the University of California, Berkeley are being given two free days on one of the school’s executive education programmes. The offer will be open for five years after their graduation. The news comes after the Wharton School announced a similar scheme in December, allowing its MBAs to take a free executive education class every seven years.
What the pope’s words imply for corporate social responsibility
IN TOUGH times, many people look to religious authorities for help and guidance; and religious authorities, in turn, rarely miss an opportunity to comment on current events. Pope Benedict XVI released his third encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), in July 2009; it was supposed to come out earlier, but the Vatican wanted to be able to respond to the developing economic crisis. Now, business and law academics have had time to mull over Benedict’s words and decide what they imply for corporate governance.
In this video, recorded for The Economist's recent online MBA fair, two students talk through their experiences of applying to business school. Unsurprisingly, they agreed that the GMAT was the most daunting part of the process
What does a business school want from you?
In this video, recorded for The Economist's recent online MBA fair, Dot Griffiths, deputy principal of Imperial College Business School, explains what she looks for in prospective MBA students. Top of the list, she says, is that applicants have a clear idea what they intend to do with their degree
Set your heart on an MBA? Philip Delves Broughton suggests a radical alternative: don’t bother
Business schools have long sold the promise that, like an F1 driver zipping into the pits for fresh tyres, it just takes a short hiatus on an MBA programme and you will come roaring back into the career race primed to win. After all, it signals to companies that you were good enough to be accepted by a decent business school (so must be good enough for them); it plugs you into a network of fellow MBAs; and, to a much lesser extent, there’s the actual classroom education. Why not just pay the bill, sign here and reap the rewards?
Taking an MBA is likely to be one of the biggest investments of time and money that you ever make
The programme fee alone at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania—one of the world’s highest-profile business schools—is currently $107,922 over two years. And there is more than just the fee to consider. If you decide on a full-time programme in Europe you will typically be out of the workplace for at least a year. Opt for a school in North America and this could stretch to two years. Students at Wharton forgo an average basic salary of $76,193 a year while attending lectures. Making the correct choice of school and programme is thus on a par with selecting the right house, perhaps even spouse.
Ten tips for perfectly pitched essays
Essays are an incredibly important part of the application process, says Stacy Blackman, an MBA admissions consultant. Seemingly straightforward questions require a great deal of introspection. Make sure you budget time to draft and redraft, try new approaches and carefully edit so that each line packs the maximum punch
1 As soon as you know that you are going to apply to business school, you can start to prepare in a low-stress way. Keep a notebook and jot down anything interesting that comes to mind. An inspiring lecture, a disappointing performance review, an enlightening conversation with a friend, a travel experience, running a marathon, a stimulating book—all of these can be terrific material for your essays. Don’t agonise over whether it will make a great topic, just jot it down. You will find that you quickly have a plethora of material to choose from.
The MBA application process is a lengthy one, comprising several important steps, designed to create a rich picture of you. Here, Stacy Blackman, an admissions consultant, shares her top tips
Where should I apply? And to how many programmes?
DO apply to your dream school, even if it is a stretch. This is your only chance, don’t leave yourself with any regrets.
DO apply to at least four schools of varying levels of competitiveness to maximise chances of success.
DON’T apply to more than six schools. This is an intense and time-consuming process. Applying to too many schools leads to burn-out and diminishing returns.
DON’T rely on rumour and others’ opinions when deciding where to apply (including rankings such as The Economist’s). Engage in first-hand research by visiting schools, and speaking with current students and alumni. Only you can decide which school is the right fit for your personality and goals.
Harvard to overhaul its MBA curriculum
WHICH MBA? understands that the faculty at Harvard Business School has approved big changes to next year’s MBA curriculum. Harvard proposes to add a required first-year course, in which students are assigned to small groups of five or six, which will focus on leadership and self-reflection. It is also expected to include a consulting project and an international assignment. The course, called FIELD (Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development), will run throughout the first year, alsongside the school’s more traditional case-study classes. The school also plans to modularise electives in the second year, which it believes will give students more flexibility to schedules their courses.
Harvard is yet to comment officially on the proposed changes, which, although approved have not yet been fully designed. However, it has notified students who accepted offers for next year’s programme before the changes were mooted.
Alfred Khan, dog's best friend
IF WE had such a thing, then surely Alfred Kahn, the subject of this week's obituary, would feature as our academic quote of the day. The economist, and one-time dean of Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, observed in 1980:
“Dean is to faculty as a hydrant is to a dog.”
Rankings
Stay informed
Full-time MBA ranking breakdowns
Which MBA? special reports
Latest student diaries
Advertisement
Advertisement
Subscribe to The Economist's free e-mail newsletters and alerts.
Subscribe to The Economist's latest article postings on Twitter
See a selection of The Economist's articles, events, topical videos and debates on Facebook.
Advertisement
